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Summary

Hospitals and health systems are facing many challenges, including shrinking reimbursements and the need to improve patient safety and quality. A growing number of healthcare organizations are turning to the Lean management system as an alternative to traditional cost cutting and layoffs. "Kaizen," which is translated from Japanese as "good change" or "change for the better," is a core pillar of the Lean strategy for today’s best healthcare organizations.

Kaizen is a powerful approach for creating a continuously learning and continuously improving organizations. A Kaizen culture leads to everyday actions that improve patient care and create better workplaces, while improving the organization’s long-term bottom line. The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is the perfect introduction to executives and leaders who want to create and support this culture of continuous improvement.The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizenis an introduction to kaizen principles and an overview of the leadership behaviors and mindsets required to create a kaizen culture or a culture of continuous improvement. The book is specifically written for busy C-level executives, vice presidents, directors, and managers who need to understand the power of this methodology. The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizenshares real and practical examples and stories from leading healthcare organizations, including Franciscan St. Francis Health System, located in Indiana. Franciscan St. Francis’ employees and physicians have implemented and documented 4,000 Kaizen improvements each of the last three years, resulting in millions of dollars in hard savings and softer benefits for patients and staff.

Chapters cover topics such as the need for Kaizen, different types of Kaizen (including Rapid Improvement Events and daily Kaizen), creating a Kaizen culture, practical methods for facilitating Kaizen improvements, the role of senior leaders and other leaders in Kaizen, and creating an organization-wide Kaizen program.

The book contains a new introduction by Gary Kaplan, MD, CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, which was named "Hospital of the Decade" in 2012.

The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizenis a companion book to the larger book Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements(2012). Healthcare Kaizen is a longer, more complete "how to" guide that includes over 200 full color images, including over 100 real kaizen examples from various health systems around the world. Healthcare Kaizen was named a recipient of the prestigious Shingo Professional Publication and Research Award.

Check out what the experts at the Franciscan St. Francis Health System have to say about Healthcare Kaizen.

Table of Contents

The Need for KaizenQuick TakeKaizen = Change for the BetterKaizen = Meaningful ImprovementsHealthcare’s Opportunity for ImprovementThe IOM’s Recommendations for Continuous LearningDr. Berwick’s Early Call for Kaizen in HealthcareThe Impact of Kaizen at Franciscan St. Francis It Is Not Always about CostThe Business Case for Kaizen Lower Staff Turnover Costs Cost Reductions and Hard Savings Higher Revenue and Patient Throughput Cost Avoidance and Soft Savings Improved Quality and Patient Safety Improvements Have Interwoven ResultsWhat Executives Need to Do Creating a Management Operating System Tying Kaizen to Strategy Connecting Kaizen to the MissionConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotesWhat Is Kaizen?Quick TakeBubbles for BabiesKaizen = Continuous ImprovementKaizen Is Not Just Change, It Is ImprovementKaizen Starts with Small Changes A Small Kaizen with Great MeaningKaizen Involves the People Who Do the WorkKaizen, PDSA, and the Scientific Method for ImprovementWe Often Succeed as the Result of Failing More "Failure" Should Result in Learning Changing Back Can Be Better for BabiesKaizen Is Not a Suggestion System—It Is an Improvement SystemCommon Dysfunctions of Suggestion Systems Suggestion Boxes Are Rarely or Never Opened Suggestion Box Systems Are Slow, with Poor Feedback Too Many Suggestions Are Rejected or Ignored Suggestion Systems Put the Burden on Managers Winner Takes All Demoralizes the Rest Suggestion Bonuses Cause More Trouble than They Are WorthKaizen and LeanKaizen: One of the Two Pillars of The Toyota Way and Lean Respect for People = No Layoffs Due to Kaizen Kaizen and Respect Are IntertwinedKaizen Closes Gaps between Staff and LeadersKaizen Values Creativity before CapitalKaizen Helps Avoid Expensive MistakesKaizen Reignites Our Inherent CreativityPeople Are the Ultimate Competitive AdvantageConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotesTypes of KaizenQuick TakeThe Continuous Improvement of a Lifesaving InnovationKaizen Means Continuous Improvement or Just Projects?Three Levels of Kaizen Large Projects Mid-Sized Projects Smaller, Daily Improvements Complementary Nature of the Levels of KaizenThree Types of Kaizen at Children’s Medical Center DallasEvents Are Powerful, but Not Enough Basic Structure and Format of an Improvement Event Additional Challenges with Weeklong EventsCombining Different Types of Kaizen Virginia Mason Medical Center ThedaCare Avera McKennan Kaizen Leads to Innovation at FranciscanConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotesCreating a Kaizen CultureQuick TakeEveryone Is Part of the Change CultureThe Real Goal—Cultural Transformation Kaizen Grows Skills and AbilitiesBarriers to Kaizen Resistance to Change Lack of Time—We’re Too BusyWhat a Kaizen Culture Feels Like Everyone Is Engaged Drivers of Engagement Everyone Is Relentlessly Searching for Opportunities to Improve Patients and Families Are Happy Staff and Physicians Are Engaged The Workspace Is Clean, Orderly, and Safe Everyone Works Together Everything Gets Questioned Small Successes Lead to Bigger SuccessesImai’s Three Stages of a Kaizen CultureConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotesDaily Kaizen MethodsQuick TakeFresh Eyes Can See Waste That Hid before Your EyesThe 5 Steps of Kaizen Step 1: Find Start Small Step 2: Discuss Say "Yes" Coaches for Coaches Step 3: Implement Seven Days Grace Step 4: Document Quantifying Benefits When Possible Step 5: ShareSharing Kaizens: Kaizen Reports and the Kaizen Wall of FameVisual Idea Boards: Making the Entire Kaizen Visible Idea CardsElectronic Kaizen Systems: Making Kaizen More Broadly Visible Advantages of an Electronic Online Database Quick Entry and Categorization Automatic Routing and Electronic Communication Quick Search and Retrieval Electronic Kaizen within Intermountain Healthcare Electronic Kaizen at VanderbiltConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotes

The Role of Senior Leaders in KaizenQuick TakeThe Reluctant CEOKey Actions for Leaders at All Levels Key Action 1: Believe in the Power of Kaizen Key Action 2: Participate in Kaizen Key Action 3: Just Ask Ask, Don’t Tell Key Action 4: Use Kaizen to Develop People Key Action 5: Ensure Staff Members Are Recognized and Rewarded Key Action 6: Share and Spread Ideas Key Action 7: Sell the BenefitsThe Specific Role of Senior Leaders Leadership and Kaizen Participation Starts at the Top Going to the Gemba Key Actions for Senior Leaders Key Action 1: Communicate Expectations, Prioritize, and Set Direction Key Action 2: Ensure Adequate Resources Are Available Key Action 3: Sponsor a Recognition and Incentives Program Key Action 4: Share Notable Kaizens Key Action 5: Thank People PersonallyConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotesThe Role of Other Leaders in KaizenQuick TakeFrom Cop to CoachKaizen Requires Leaders at All LevelsRole of Middle-Level Managers Paula’s Baby Steps Lead the Way The "Great Big Pile of Problems" Key Actions for Middle-Level Managers Key Action 1: Be the Departmental Owner and Develop Co-Owners or Coordinators Key Action 2: Use Departmental Meetings Key Action 3: Encourage Staff to Participate by Asking for Their Ideas Key Action 4: Create a Departmental Recognition System Key Action 5: Put a Tracking System in Place, if One Does Not Exist Key Action 6: Tie to Performance EvaluationsRole of First-Level Managers Key Actions for First-Level Managers Key Action 1: Coach Key Action 2: Empower Staff—Do Not Do the Kaizen for Them Key Action 3: Use Rounding to Coach Key Action 4: Help Set Expectations Key Action 5: Review and Approve Kaizen Reports Key Action 6: Help Document Benefits Key Action 7: Make Kaizen Fun Key Action 8: Recognize and Reward Key Action 9: Share and Spread Ideas Key Action 10: Be a CheerleaderLeaders Drive Kaizen SuccessConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotesOrganization-Wide Kaizen ProgramsQuick TakeFrom Helplessness to EmpowermentFrom One Department to the Whole OrganizationGetting Started Starting Small and Spreading Kaizen When Will You See Results? Tying Kaizen to the Organization’s StrategyThe Kaizen Promotion Office Staffing the KPOActivities of the Kaizen Promotion Office Activity 1: Facilitates the Practice of Kaizen Activity 2: Reports Kaizen Metrics Activity 3: Coordinates Rewards and Recognition Activity 4: Facilitates Kaizen Sharing across the Organization Activity 5: Develops Kaizen Standardized Work Activity 6: Develops and Delivers Staff Education Activity 7: Facilitates the Documentation and Tracking of KaizensSustaining a Kaizen Program: Incentives and Rewards Pros and Cons of Financial IncentivesConclusionDiscussion QuestionsEndnotesConclusionSmall Methods Lead to a Meaningful Impact Tools and Philosophies Building the CultureA Minute to Learn, a Lifetime to MasterBuilding upon Franciscan’s SuccessYour Next StepsBuilding a Kaizen CommunityEndnotes

Author(s) Bio

Mark Graban is an author, consultant, and speaker in the field of lean healthcare. He is the author of Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement(2nd Edition) and co-author of Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements. Mark has worked as a consultant and coach to healthcare organizations throughout North America and Europe. He was formerly a senior fellow with the Lean Enterprise Institute and continues to serve as a faculty member. Mark is also the Chief Improvement Officer for KaiNexus, a startup software company that helps healthcare organizations manage continuous improvement efforts. Mark earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an MS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from MIT Sloan Leaders for Global Operations Program. Visit his website at www.MarkGaban.com and his blog at www.LeanBlog.org.

Joseph E. Swartz is the Director of Business Transformation for Franciscan St. Francis Health of Indianapolis, IN. He has been leading continuous improvement efforts for 18 years, including 7 years in healthcare, and has led more than 200 Lean and Six Sigma improvement projects. Joseph is the co-author with Mark Graban of Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvementand co-author of Seeing David in the Stone and was previously an instructor at the University of Wisconsin. Joseph earned an MS in Management from Purdue University as a Karnnert Scholar for academic excellence.

Reviews

I believe that Kaizen is essentially a 'human business.' Management must meet diversified requirements of its employees, customers, stakeholders, suppliers, and its community. In this sense, the healthcare profession can probably best benefit from Kaizen because its central task is people. I am honored to write the foreword to Healthcare Kaizen by Mark Graban and Joseph Swartz.—Masaaki Imai, author of KAIZENand Gemba Kaizen

To get started with Kaizen, you should do the following. First, read this book. Second, ask your employees to read the book. Third, ask your employees to begin a Kaizen system. It is just that simple. You just ask, and you will get what you ask for. Just do it and learn from the process.—Norman Bodek, author of How to do Kaizenand The Harada Method

I hope you will discover, as we have, the incredible creativity that can be derived by engaging and supporting each and every employee in improvements that they themselves lead.—Robert J. (Bob) Brody, CEO, Franciscan St. Francis Health

At a time when many hospitals and health systems have relegated Lean to the 'Project of the Month Club', Graban and Swartz remind us of the fundamentals that help organizations keep their Lean initiatives alive and thriving. I hope everyone reads this book and recommits to the fundamentals of Lean, particularly the involvement of frontline staff in process redesign.—Fred Slunecka, Chief Operating Officer, Avera Health

Unleashing the energy and creativity of every employee to solve problems everyday should be the sole focus of every healthcare leader. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of examples where this is happening. Healthcare Kaizen provides examples of front line staff coming up with solutions to problems on their own and implementing them. Healthcare leaders need to read this book to understand that their management role must radically change to one of supporting daily kaizen if quality safety and cost are to improve in healthcare.—John Toussaint, MD, CEO, ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and author of On the Mendand Potent Medicine

In Healthcare Kaizen, Mark Graban and Joseph Swartz show us that Kaizen is more than a set of tools. What we have learned through our application of the Virginia Mason Production System is that Kaizen is a management methodology of continuous improvement that must permeate the fabric of the entire organization. Front line staff must know, understand, embrace and drive Kaizen and its tools to achieve incremental and continuous improvements. This book will help health care organizations around the world begin and advance their journey.—Gary Kaplan, MD, FACP, FACMPE, FACPE, Chairman and CEO, Virginia Mason Medical Center

The healthcare industry is in the midst of truly fundamental change, and those organizations that engage their front line staff in developing the strategies for improving care, enhancing satisfaction, and streamlining processes to reduce unnecessary variation and expense will be well positioned to thrive in a post-reform environment. In their book, Healthcare Kaizen, Graban and Swartz create a roadmap for using incremental, staff driven changes to inculcate performance improvement into the culture of an organization in a sustainable manner. This book represents a wonderful resource for healthcare leaders looking to foster innovation at all levels.—Brett D. Lee, PhD, FACHE, CEO, Lake Pointe Health NetworkHealthcare Kaizen is a practical guide for senior healthcare leaders aspiring to engage frontline staff in true continuous improvement. Graban and Swartz skillfully illustrate how to foster and support daily continuous improvement in health care settings. Health systems struggle to move beyond improvement work being extra work done in "special projects" facilitated by experts. This book can guide organizational transformation so that continuous improvement becomes part of the daily work of frontline staff.—John E. Billi, MD, Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Michigan

When healthcare organizations take initial steps on their Lean journey, they often focus very heavily on tools and grand solutions, which may create new barriers to innovation. In Healthcare Kaizen, Mark and Joe remind us of the great power of daily problem solving. Their examples reinforce that learning is a result of the repeated tests of changes that are often small and simple, and less often by hitting the home runs of improvement. The story of Franciscan St. Francis Health is compelling, where leaders created the opportunity for great people at the frontline making great improvements for patient care.—Michel Tétreault, MD, President and CEO, St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Canada—Bruce Roe, MD, Chief Medical Officer, St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Canada

Without exception, the leadership of the health system is the determinant of success or failure in Lean transformation. The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizenis a focused and concise guide for that journey, a must-read for those who have that responsibility.—Dave Munch, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Healthcare Performance Partners

In the last decade, implementation of the Lean production model in a healthcare setting has produced remarkable outcomes and revolutionized the way we deliver care. Using examples from Franciscan Health and other forward-thinking medical groups, the book contains valuable strategies for organization-wide cultural transformation to create a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare system dedicated to continuous quality improvement.—Donald W. Fisher, PhD, President and CEO, American Medical Group Association

Mark Graban and Joseph Swartz have brought to life the critical concept of kaizen – continuous improvement. In this latest edition, a great deal of emphasis is placed on senior management engagement and support of ongoing improvement. Most agree that meaningful, sustained change cannot occur without leadership from the top, engagement of the front lines, and cohesion of the leadership chain. This book does a wonderful job of delivering these important concepts in an accessible, intriguing manner. Kudos to Graban and Swartz!—Jody Crane, MD, MBA, Senior Medical Director, Stafford Hospital; Principal, X32 Healthcare; and co-author of The Definitive Guide to Emergency Department Operational Improvement

Unfortunately the Lean movement has too often turned into a race to implement as many of the tools of Lean in as many places as possible. This is totally alien to the spirit of kaizen or the purpose of the Toyota Production System. The purpose is to create a culture of continuous improvement with people at all levels thinking deeply about their ideal vision for the people and process, and purposefully taking steps to achieve the vision. The vision should be for the good of the enterprise, not to check the box for the Lean folks who are auditing 5S and visual management.

Mark and Joe have a deep understanding of the purpose of TPS and what is needed in healthcare to raise this from a program to a true culture that can tackle all the difficult challenges that face modern medicine. He has been steeped in the healthcare field for years and has great examples to illustrate kaizen, both small and big changes. In this book he takes on the challenge of driving kaizen down to the level of every work group--truly the deepest meaning of kaizen. This takes exceptional leadership, a second nature understanding of the tools, and always working at the gemba to solve the real problems. Hopefully this book will become a blueprint for healthcare organizations everywhere that truly want to be great!"—Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan; and Shingo Research Award-winning author of The Toyota Way

It has been studied and shown that true north for healthcare organizations is an engaged senior leader and senior leadership team. This factor alone is the difference between mediocrity and excellence when it comes to performance and sustained extraordinary metrics for care, health and cost. The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizenprovides a foundation for you as an executive to build the learning organization needed in today’s environment. Smart, to the point, and handy. You will find this guide invaluable.—Betty Brown, MBA MSN RN CPHQ FNAHQ, Immediate Past President of NAHQ; and Principal of ELLO Consulting, LLC

At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, everybody improving every day is a critical aspect of our Lean and quality improvement efforts. Healthcare Kaizen, is full of relatable examples as well as practical ideas that will inspire staff, clinicians and leaders at all levels. Its’ must-have supplement, The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen: Leadership for a Continuously Learning and Improving Organization, clearly outlines the role of management in leading this important work. It is not enough to be supportive; rather, one must demonstrate genuine interest with active participation and not delegate continuous improvement to others.—Alice Lee, Vice President of Business Transformation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

For the past 7 years I have been leading a successful Lean healthcare transformation at Chugachmiut, the non-profit organization I lead in Alaska. During that time, I have learned that respect for the people who work for you is key to any transformation. Mark Graban and Joseph Swartz do a great job of capturing this truth in their book, Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements. Every employee can learn the tools of Lean, and improve processes as a result. However, sustaining a Lean transformation and resisting entropy requires engaging front line employees in a long term vision for serving their customers and in true continuous improvement. Employees who work in a culture that removes blame and shame, operates on facts and seeks improvement continuously have great leadership and will respond with incredible results. This book is a long needed addition to my growing Lean healthcare library.—Patrick M. Anderson, "Lean in Alaska" Governance and Management Consulting

The term 'kaizen' has been interpreted in many ways since we learned of the Toyota Production System in healthcare. Mark and Joe demystify the term, help us understand its real meaning, and help us see how using kaizen can help us improve in healthcare and, frankly, how we can use kaizen to save lives. The philosophy, tools and techniques discussed in the book work, and work well, in any environment. We in healthcare must improve - we owe it to our patients and communities - and Mark and Joe are helping to show us the way.—Dean Bliss, Lean Improvement Advisor, Iowa Healthcare Collaborative

The healthcare industry has long struggled to tap one of the biggest sources available to it for ideas to improve outcomes and reduce costs – its front-line staff. Healthcare Kaizen lays out a step-by-step approach that any healthcare organization can use to get the dramatic results that come when its workforce is fully engaged in kaizen activities on a daily basis. This inspirational book is packed with examples and is informed by the authors’ years of experience on the "front-lines" themselves, helping leading healthcare organizations around the world to build successful kaizen programs.—Alan G. Robinson, PhD, Professor, Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts; Co-author of Ideas Are Free and Corporate Creativity

What Mark Graban and Joseph Swartz have done in Healthcare Kaizen and The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen is to bring hope and light to a part of our society that is facing increasing challenges. Full of examples and illustrations from hospitals and healthcare professionals leading the way in the journey to patient-centered, error-free care delivery, this book makes it easy to connect with this very powerful concept of kaizen. By putting kaizen within the broader tradition of quality improvement, shedding light on its historical development and pointing out potential pitfalls in its application in healthcare, the authors provide a great service to the healthcare community. I was especially impressed by the authors’ important insights on what a kaizen culture feels like, and how people at all levels can and must engage in daily improvement. These books will be a reference on the subject for many years to come.—Jon Miller, CEO of theKaizen Institute

Adoption of the Lean philosophy is dead on arrival without the involvement of an organization's senior leadership. Yet, what are members of the executive suite to think when a bunch of Japanese terms coming flying past their desk? And when the leadership philosophy required is something quite different from their training and experience? Graban and Swartz help cut through all this in a presentation that is cogent, efficient, and thoughtful. Whether you are new to Lean principles or experienced in them, this book has something to offer. Even if you don't choose to take the entire Lean journey, you will receive insights and ideas that will help you get better results from your organization.—Paul F. Levy, author of Goal Play! Leadership Lessons from the Soccer Field; andformer CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

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